Effects of Poverty Alleviation Policies on Regional Economic Resilience: Evidence from the Wuling Mountain Area of China

Using county-level panel data from the Wuling Mountain Area (2008–2019), this study evaluates the impact of China’s Contiguous Areas of Extreme Poverty (CAEP) policy on regional economic resilience. Exploiting the 2012 policy launch as a quasi-natural experiment, a difference-in-differences approach shows that CAEP significantly enhances regional economic resilience, mainly through improved resistance capability and adaptability capability, while effects on transformation capability remain limited. Financial resource allocation and human capital development are key channels. Policy impacts are moderated by geographic and institutional constraints, highlighting the importance of place-specific implementation for sustaining resilience gains. Policy impacts are shaped by local geographic and institutional conditions, with stronger effects in counties with less rugged terrain and lower population density, while excessive government intervention weakens resilience gains, underscoring the need for place-specific policy implementation.